New Provincial Police Commissioner welcomed

Statement by Dan Plato, Western Cape Minister of Community Safety

I welcome the announcement made today by the Acting National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Phahlane, that Major General Khombinkosi Jula has officially been appointed as the new Provincial Police Commissioner for the Western Cape.

I look forward to the tenure of Major General Jula as Commissioner. This follows the rigorous selection process which saw him put forward to the Western Cape Executive as the preferred candidate.

With more than 28 years’ experience in the South African Police Service (SAPS), Major General Jula’s appointment holds the promise of effectively addressing the policing service delivery constraints that the Western Cape has been experiencing.

I thank Acting National Commissioner Phahlane for the Western Cape Government’s inclusion in the selection process. I also wish to thank both Major General Thembisile Patekile and Lieutenant-General Garry Kruser for their respective periods as Acting Police Commissioner in the province. Both officers assisted in maintaining stability in the ranks following the suspension of former Police Commissioner Arno Lamoer who faces serious criminal charges.

Major General Jula, who has served as a Deputy Provincial Commissioner in KwaZulu-Natal, will certainly have his work cut out for him.

The Western Cape remains stretched in terms of effective resourcing of the SAPS in the province and this would have to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Increasing crime levels over the last decade would need to take priority, especially the continuous scourge of gangsterism and drugs in our communities.

The good relations with the SAPS which the Department of Community Safety has been able to foster with the acting provincial police commissioners over the better part of the last year should serve as the foundation in working even better together towards safer communities across the province. Major General Jula’s inputs and experience should assist with finalising the ongoing efforts of the Task Team on the implementation of the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations towards improved policing.

Major General Jula’s experiences as Deputy Police Commissioner in KwaZulu-Natal capacitate him to apply what he has learned during his previous positions. Some of these experiences include, for example, to:

• Provide a proactive and responsive policing service that reduces the levels of crime;
• Facilitate the establishment of partnerships with the communities;
• Establish task teams and initiate intelligence driven crime prevention operations and programs; and
• Ensure the implementation of the Firearms Control Act and supporting frameworks.

The new Provincial Police Commissioner will be expected to be honest with our communities regarding the crime they experience on a daily basis and regarding limited police visibility and an insufficient number of police officers. A cooperative approach – partnering with the various spheres of government and communities – is needed if we are to combat the various threats to safety in our communities and foster a trust relationship between communities and law enforcement entities.

Ultimately, through the oversight mandate of the provincial government, the safety of the people in the Western Cape remains a priority of this administration and we look forward to working with the new Provincial Police Commissioner to achieve this.